In a contract fight with the union, TriMet is pushing to cut the $18,580 in annual benefits as it deals with $60 million shortfalls. The union is fighting to keep them. At some point, an arbitrator is expected to decide what will happen.

Drivers are paid hourly wages. Recently, officials with Amalgamated Transit Union 757 said the typical bus driver makes about $55,000 a year. The database does show that the mid-range for salaries in about $60,000 before the benefits package.

According to TriMet, as of October of 2009, the highest hourly rate for a bus drivers was $24.36. It's also unclear how much overtime the top-paid drivers work each year. Large amounts of overtime by drivers could ostensibly present safety risks for the agency, but TriMet says they must follow strict guidelines for hours of service between shifts.

Look up your bus driver’s salary (or any other TriMet employee's annual compensation) and benefits package using his or her name or position. Communications director Mary Fetsch, for example, makes $107,242 in salary and $13,062 in benefits. That position is nonunion.

As for pension costs, the database says “pension compensation information by individual is not tracked by TriMet. According to TriMet's 2009-2010 budget document, pension-expense normal cost is; $4,818 per union employee; 12.28% of gross income per non-union employee in defined contribution plan."

Update: After reading the comments, I think two things need to be clarified: TriMet is not on the PERS system; and this database is not a government website. It is a website started
and funded by the libertarian Cascade Policy Institute (not that Oregon
Capitol News makes it easy to find that information on its site).